Bears' offense just good enough

Cutler hits 24 of 36 passes with 2 TDs but, of most importance, he didn't turn ball over

October 11, 2013|By Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune reporter

Jay Cutler could not suppress a smile as he considered the multitude of talented receiving weapons at his disposal Thursday night.

Cutler targeted eight receivers and connected with six of them as he completed 24 of 36 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns. Of most importance, Cutler did not turn the ball over either via interception or fumble as the Bears held on for a 27-21 victory over the winless Giants at Soldier Field.

"We won the game, but you kind of leave unsatisfied," Cutler said of missed opportunities that could have blown the game open.

The Bears reached the Giants' 4-yard line on their first possession. On fourth-and-2, coach Marc Trestman decided to go for it and Cutler's pass intended for Brandon Marshall fell incomplete.

"We talked about the possibility (Thursday morning)," Cutler said. "I liked the call. I just have to get it in front of (Marshall) a little bit more. I liked the confidence (of going for it) at home."

Trestman said Marshall was bracketed by defenders on the fourth-down play, but he admired the resiliency of Cutler and the rest of the offense after that.

"He was normal Jay, nothing special," Marshall said of Cutler's demeanor in the huddle and on the sideline. "Usually when we are down a little bit and it gets to crunch time, it's more vocal. But tonight we were all under control and had great poise."

The Bears amassed 372 total net yards.

"Offensively we played a very clean game," Trestman said. "It wasn't as good as we want it to be. We didn't finish the drives. But Jay took care of the football. We were able to run some clock. It wasn't all pretty. But that's exciting because we know we have a chance to get better."

When Cutler wasn't hooking up with Marshall, Alshon Jeffery or Matt Forte, he targeted reliable tight end Martellus Bennett, who had six catches for 68 yards.

"He's good and he will tell you about it too. He's fun to have in the huddle," Cutler said. "All of those guys were making plays. He made a tough catch there in crunch time."

Forte rushed for 67 yards on 19 carries and also caught six passes for 44 yards.

"On third down coming down the stretch we kind of missed some opportunities to ice it," Cutler said.